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Friday March 29, 2024

Decision rests with people: Abbasi

By our correspondents
March 09, 2018

KARAK: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday said court and media related talks carried no importance and it was up to the masses whether they would give vote to those who were abusing them or to those who believed in decent politics.

He said this while inaugurating an LPG plant in the Nashpa area of the district. The project was completed at the cost of Rs20 billion. Abbasi said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was committed to developing the country. He said the government had put the country on the path to development according to the vision of Nawaz Sharif.

He said about 1,000 tonnes gas was produced locally when the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government came into power in 2013. "And now the production has reached 1,800 tonnes," he said, adding that not even one percent gas was given to anyone as political bribe.

The prime minister said the 500-kilometer motorway built by the PML-N in the past had now reached 1,700 kilometers. He said the OGDCL would get Rs60 billion annual income from the gas project.

The prime minister said 400 ton LPG would be produced by the project on a daily basis, adding that Rs42 billion had been paid as royalty to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government from the oil and gas produced in the area by the federal government.

The premier said Rs7 billion gas produced in Karak was wasted and asked the people to save it. He appreciated the performance of the OGDCL and PPL gas companies and said both of them were among in the best companies of the world.

The prime minister announced one-month bonus for the employees of OGDCL. He announced gas supply to the population living in five kilometer radius of gas fields. The prime minister announced to link Karak with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor via Shakardara.

He also handed Banda Daud Shah Road and Tal Road over to the National Highway Authority (NHA) to complete it as early as possible. Abbasi approved a women’s university campus and asked the OGDCL to establish a model educational institution in the area. He announced health cards for the underprivileged people of Karak.

Meanwhile, talking to the students of Cadet College, Mastung at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Abbasi expressed the hope that Balochistan would soon turn out to be the most developed area of the country having a network of roads for better health and education services.

He said the federal government was committed to the development of Balochistan. He said the government accorded due priority to the province in allocation of funds to ensure availability of all basic facilities of life to the Baloch people.

He said Balochistan was a resource-rich province having abundant reserves of oil, gas, minerals and metals. He advised the students to focus on their studies and work hard to reach a position where they could serve Pakistan, particularly Balochistan.

He also expressed satisfaction that many students from the Cadet College, Mastung had joined the armed forces to serve and defend Pakistan. Meanwhile, speaking at an interactive session with women from different walks of life to mark the International Women’s Day at the PMO, Abbasi said Pakistan had come a long way in women empowerment in all spheres and hoped their contribution would continue to make the country strong and prosperous in the days ahead.

“Women are making a remarkable progress in health, education, sciences, politics and defence of the country,” he said. He said the government will facilitate the entry of women in every field and ensure that they get equal opportunities, facilities and emoluments.

He said the Pakistani women had not only been recognized at the national level, but also at the international level. He said the country had top notch front line women combat pilots, educationists, health and IT experts.

He said gone were the days when the country used to have a quota for women. “I believe it is time that men need to get a quota.” He recalled that in every educational institution he had visited out of top ten students, seven were women.

He said the women had done their bit and now it was for the men to meet the challenge. The prime minister later went round different tables and discussed with the groups issues related to national economy, politics, health, education and their impact on women. Acting Foreign Secretary Tasnim Aslam conducted the function.